Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 7

While at times shaky and unfocused, the final season of this hit fan favorite ends up being the best Star Wars content since Revenge of the Sith.

In 2008, a movie called Star Wars: The Clone Wars came out in theaters and introduced audiences to the era that Star Wars fans have come to know as the Clone Wars, as mentioned by Luke Skywalker in Episode 4: A New Hope (or just Star Wars for short). This is the period between Episode 2: Attack of the Clones and Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, and the battles that took place during this intergalactic civil war between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, or just simply the Separatists. I was a young Star Wars fan and prequel kid, so of course I was excited to see Dave Filoni’s interpretation of the fabled Clone Wars and see the events that took place during those three years. However, after seeing it, I wasn’t completely sold on it. The idea of Anakin Skywalker having a Padawan learner named Ahsoka Tano that we had heard nothing about up until that point didn’t really sit right with me, as I’m sure was the case for many other fans.

But it turns out the movie was basically a teaser for the upcoming series that would premiere on Cartoon Network. So when the show came out and the seasons began to pass by, something strange happened. The show was completely different from the movie and had a longer runtime to tell its stories. As each season passed, it grew surprisingly darker and mature, and showcased better character development than half the movies in the saga. It brought characters like Darth Maul back from the dead and properly fleshed them out, and added layers to Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s characters. It added so much more to the prequels and reinforced the themes that were being told in those movies. So as time passed, I developed this newfound love for the show and its characters. But when Disney bought the rights to Star Wars in 2012, the series was cancelled and Lucasfilm would then take a new direction with the future, more kid- friendly series Star Wars Rebels (another great show by Filoni). The series ended abruptly on its sixth season, and the fans were disappointed that it never had a true satisfying ending that would tie in with Episode 3. But the outpouring cries from the fans were heard, and the show made a triumphant return by announcing its seventh and final season. Fans rejoiced when hearing the news, and they would finally have the ending the beloved series deserved. The seventh season is now over, and the circle is now complete.

So how does the final season hold up compared to the rest of the show and other Star Wars media? Was it worth all the hype from fans? Let’s start with the first four episodes, since the season was divided into three story arcs with each one having four episodes total. The first four episodes centered on Clone Force 99, or the Bad Batch, were a fun reintroduction back to the series for the fans. The Bad Batch were for the most part an interesting group of clones, each one having a special attribute that set them apart from the rest, and had some great moments to shine. These episodes were able to present the show’s new and improved animation while also portraying exciting action sequences with an intriguing story line focused on MIA soldier Echo, who we last saw on season three’s The Citadel. We get some brotherly moments with Anakin and Obi-Wan, and we also get to see Padme Amidala make a brief return as well. As an arc that serves to reintroduce us back into this time period, it serves its purpose well even though it doesn’t mean much to the main story.

Now, the next arc we see Ahsoka Tano make a return as she meets two sisters, Trace and Rafa Martez, in the underground of Coruscant. While Ahsoka is one of my favorite characters, this arc was the lowest point of the season. They are essentially filler episodes to give Ahsoka screen time as she goes on a small smuggling adventure with the two sisters, but it overstays its welcome and didn’t need to be four episodes long in a season that’s already cut short by having twelve episodes to tell its story. The Martez sisters felt shoehorned in and didn’t have many redeeming qualities, and they are unfortunately among the most uninteresting characters in the franchise to me. I was glad when this arc finished and we could finally move on to what we had all been waiting for, which is how they would connect the show to Episode 3 and if they would incorporate Order 66.

The last arc, the Siege of Mandalore, is nothing short of pure brilliance and perfection. These last four episodes feel like a movie in their entirety and are so much different compared to the rest of the season that it makes me wonder why they didn’t just release these last four episodes as a limited series. Even the opening has changed. The classic Clone Wars theme is gone and is instead replaced by blood red letters and the classic Lucasfilm logo. You can tell that they were treating this like its own standalone movie. And the result is the best Star Wars content we have seen in years. The creators were able to perfectly synchronize the events in these episodes with what was happening in Revenge of the Sith at the time, which means that we feel the dread of what is to come with Order 66, and that the war is ultimately pointless. We see what happens to Maul and how Ahsoka and Captain Rex were able to escape while the galaxy fell into chaos. This last arc is my favorite in the entire show and solidifies why the relationship between Anakin and Ahsoka is so important to Darth Vader’s character. The last shot is gut-wrenching and tragic, but beautiful and the true ending that the show deserved after all these years. I respect Dave Filoni and the rest of the crew for going with this ending because it’s real and it makes us feel for the characters. It makes us reflect on how far they’ve come, and it shows us the effects of war, and how no one wins from it except those who orchestrate it. I think that was the point the Clone Wars TV show was trying to make. As I look back on the series, I can now proudly say Ahsoka Tano is one of the greatest Star Wars characters ever created.

Final Score: 8/10

1 Comment

  1. And again, another one for the books, I’m learning so much. Thank you Julian amazingly done ✅

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